After almost 20 years of visiting and surveying historic barns, a team of volunteers from the Historic Gettysburg Adams County Barn Preservation Project recently added the 400th barn to the HGAC register of historic Adams County Barns.
Barn owners Wayne and Leila Flickinger and their daughters, Alayna and Sarah, welcomed the barn surveyors to their beautiful three-gable Pennsylvania barn built in 1901 along Cashtown Road just north of the Lincoln Highway. The Flickingers have owned the barn since 2021, and they have wasted no time in securing the longevity of the barn by replacing gutters, repointing the masonry foundation, and making other repairs. Although three-gable barns are very common in some parts of Pennsylvania, they are somewhat rare in Adams County, and the survey team relished the opportunity to photograph and measure such a barn that has been so well maintained.
Barn survey team members (L to R): Kendra Debany, Marcia Kile, Bruce Kile, and Curt Musselman, with Barn Register #400 owners Wayne, Leila, and Sarah Flickinger.
By placing their barn on the HGAC Barn Register, the Flickingers are now eligible to apply for a barn preservation grant from HGAC and to receive discounts on paint purchases from the Gettysburg Sherwin-Williams paint store. Since 2013, more than 40 barn owners whose barns are on the register have received grants to help pay for the preservation of these historic structures. Barn owners also receive a semi-annual newsletter called the BarnOwl (A word to the wise) that is published by the Barn Preservation Project to share information about barn preservation, restoration, and rehabilitation. If you own a barn and would like to have it added to the register, please call Curt Musselman, Barn Preservation Project Executive Director, at 717-659-8827.
The HGAC Barn Preservation Project is a grass-roots effort that recognizes the important role played by barn owners in preserving the historic architectural resources and landscapes within Adams County. The preservation of our historic barns helps to maintain our rural heritage and to create an attractive, bucolic setting that is appreciated by the millions of visitors who come to Gettysburg and Adams County — and it helps keep them coming back.
Bob McIlhenny, Director of Development for the Barn Preservation Project, has noted that even if you are not a barn owner, you can help to save the barns by making a donation or sponsoring one of HGAC’s events. The major fund-raising event that provides money for our barn grants is the Historic Barns Tour of Gettysburg and Adams County, which is held in September every year. This year the tour is being held on September 16th, and tickets are now available either on Eventbrite or on the HGAC website, www.HGAConline.org. Information about sponsorships of the tour is also available on the website under the DONATE tab by clicking on “Sponsorship Prospectus”. If you have any questions, please call Bob McIlhenny at 717-420-6500.
